I'm Yours Tonight
by AnInsideJoke
Summary: "I'm not really the kind of guy to get all mushy and give some big confession, rattling off what I love about her, but I am the kind of guy to take a chance." One-shot, JxM


**Hey! Just a note to my readers, I most likely will not continue '**_**Melissa goes ahead' **_**(as you probably guessed since I haven't updated it in like years) I just ran out of ideas and didn't know where I wanted it to go. I didn't want it to turn into some mushy 'I love you!' 'I love you too!' thing, in my opinion, that doesn't really suit the characters. So I wrote this one shot instead. Enjoy!**

Everything was blank. My feelings towards this place were impassive. I didn't hate it here; at least I wasn't in jail. But I sure as hell didn't love it here. Having to pull your own weight _and_ Eric's in order to survive, not knowing if rescue was coming. And you'd think that a deserted tropical island would be the place to go to get away from drama, but no, this was the most dramatic place I knew.

I guess I seem to be the calmest person here. That's only because I don't let myself fall apart. Half the time, when I'm talking to these people, my brain is screaming at them to shut up, just leave me alone. Even though I never say it, I feel guilty for even thinking it. I'm just not used to having people that I can actually depend on. I'm not used to trusting people, I'm not used to even having friends. I should be grateful for these people.

But as great as they have been to me, it doesn't change the fact that we all get on each other's nerves at some point. What, with a lazy Eric, a high-maintenance Taylor, a bossy Daley, a Nathan who's too caught up in relationships, plus having to look after a kid ( well we're not really babysitting since Lex is way smarter than us), and…

Okay, maybe there's one person who doesn't get on my nerves. I never get tired of having Mel around. When I said everything was blank, I wasn't talking about my feelings towards the island; I was also talking about the way my mind went when I talked to her. It was like, for a split second, we weren't struggling to survive. That we weren't stranded waiting for rescue, that there was no chance of me going to jail when we got back. Everything was just peaceful when I was with her.

I sat there, reflecting, letting my thoughts wander to Melissa. She was always so caring. Even when she heard that I was a pretty dark, dangerous guy, she tried to be my friend. She even convinced everyone to let me go on this trip. I know she feels responsible for me being stuck here since she's the reason I'm on this vacation. But she's also the reason I want to get back home. When I implied that we would be together when we were back home, I wasn't joking. I wanted that more than anything.

I had sat there, gazing off into the setting sun, Imagining Mel's laugh, picturing her face. I was turning into such a sap, but I couldn't help it. It's just the effect that she had on me.

In all my day dreaming, I never noticed that the sun was down and it was dark. I looked up, the stars visible, shining the way they never did in the city. I trekked along the beach, away from camp, much to the others' confusion. I simply told them that I would be back at camp soon, I just needed to do something first. They had nodded as I continued. I had finally reached my favorite spot on the beach, where in amongst the palm trees lay the guitar I had hidden away. I sighed, as I sat down in a patch of grass, cradling the instrument carefully. I strummed it absentmindedly, thinking about anything and everything. Her perfect image filled my mind once again, and my strumming began to turn into an actual song. It wasn't like I wrote it, but it was scary how much sense it made to me. It was just one of those songs that I had heard on the radio before, and I found it fitting. I let the lyrics spill out of my mouth.

_Forever alone, until I found you__  
__And now you're always there__  
__There's only your scent on my clothes__  
__Oh, but when the sun exposes all my demons,__  
__will you stay or run away?_

My mind wandered back to Eric's 'revealing'. My Reputation had always been the least of my worries; I couldn't give a damn about what they had to say about me. But I was scared to death of what Melissa would think. To lose her would be to lose my sanity.__

_I'll help you find your way__  
__Every moment you're awake,__  
__You know I'll stay__  
__Even in your dreams_

My gaze wandered from the shore to the night sky as I continued.

___I'll pull the stars down from the heavens,__  
__To fill your empty skies__  
__I'm yours tonight,__  
__I'm yours tonight___

_Wherever you go, they say I'm bad news__  
__When everyone agrees,__  
__Whispers start sounding like screams__  
__Oh, but I know what you want__  
__To say before the words escape your teeth__  
__Will you trust in me?_

Even with everything up against me, I prayed with the tiny bit of hope that I had that Mel would stand by me, that she wouldn't be afraid of me like everyone else was. I wasn't a bad guy really, a lot of bad things just happened to me. Trouble had a way of finding me.__

_I'll help you find your way__  
__Every moment you're awake,__  
__You know I'll stay__  
__Even in your dreams__  
__I'll pull the stars down from the heavens,__  
__To fill your empty skies__  
__I'm yours tonight__  
__I'm yours tonight___

_My good intentions, can leave the hardest parts__  
__The harshest scars you'll never see _

I thought back to what was revealed. I remember expecting for my 'friends' to be happy for me, that I was getting the chance to go on this trip. That was the biggest mistake I had made. That stupid fight broke out. That guy got hurt, and any chance of my having a good future was wrecked.

___My bad impressions, oh they will follow me,__  
__Making enemies that I can't see_

That was the day I broke down. I remember being the 'rock' of the group, but that night I fell apart. I cried as I told Mel everything that happened. She had tried to tell me that what happened back home wasn't important here, but it was the thing that tormented me every day. It was just as I had told her, 'Whether I like it or not, it follows me.'__

_Forever alone, until I found you__  
__And I know that you'll stay,__  
__You won't run away_

My explanation came to an end. She didn't back away from me in fear, when I was talking; her eyes weren't filled with disgust. She just wrapped her arms around me and held me as I cried. Although I was crumbling at that moment, I had never felt more whole. She was there, I was accepted. That was all I needed. She was all I needed.

___I'll help you find your way__  
__Every moment you're awake,__  
__You know I'll stay__  
__Even in your dreams__  
__I'll pull the stars down from the heavens,__  
__To fill your empty skies__  
__I'm yours tonight_

She invaded my thoughts for the rest of the song.

___I'll help you find your way__  
__Every moment you're awake,__  
__You know I'll stay__  
__Even in your dreams__  
__I'll pull the stars down from the heavens,__  
__To fill your empty skies__  
__I'm yours tonight (I'm yours tonight)__  
__I'm yours tonight_

The final words echoed through the cool tropical air. I whispered her name, _Melissa_, loving the way it sounded when it rolled off my tongue. I wouldn't tell her about this. Not yet. I wasn't afraid of rejection; I know how she felt about me. I just know that this isn't the best time.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop".

Her voice filled my ears, making my senses tingle. She must have thought when I said her name, I was acknowledging her presence, but I had not realized she was there until she spoke. I turned to her. "Hey Mel", was all I could manage, smiling weakly.

"Do you do this often? Singing and playing that guitar?" She asked.

"Only when I have something ('or someone', I said, quieter so she wouldn't quite hear it) on my mind."

"Well what, or rather _who _(I guess she heard. Damn), was that about?

I thought for a second. What if we didn't make it off the island and I never kept that promise to her? Did I really want to die without her knowing?

"Three guesses."

"Taylor?" She said it quickly. I guess it would seem like I was into Taylor, but I wasn't. She was like a sister to me. I gave her a quiet laugh and shook my head no.

"Abby?"

I shook my head once again. "No, and It's not Daley or Jory either. Hell I don't even know Jory, and majority of the time I wish I didn't know Daley…"

She giggled a little, but warned me to be nice. It was quiet for a minute, but then she smirked at me.

"It's Eric, isn't it?"

This time I really laughed. I loved how light the mood was when I was with her, even if I was about to tell her how I felt about her.

"Well who else is there?"

I stared at her, almost in disbelief. I couldn't tear my eyes away from hers, so I just let my gaze linger there. I tried to say the word 'you', but my mouth was dry and refused to open. I just gave her a half-smile and tilted my head towards her in a sort of nod, hoping she would get the hint.

Her slight smile fell and her face turned serious, obviously getting my hint. "..W-What?", She had managed to stutter out.

I smiled a little, and spoke. I'm not really the kind of guy to get all mushy and give some big confession, rattling off what I love about her, but I am the kind of guy to take a chance."I really like you Mel. It's just… On this island, there's so much frustration and tension, and I don't want that to screw with...whatever we have. You deserve a guy who can focus on you and with us being stuck here, fighting to survive, I can't promise that."

I looked at her, hoping to gage her reaction. She was looking straight back at me, smiling slightly and nodding in agreement. Seeing that she understood, I continued. "If we don't get rescued – and don't try to argue with that, it is possible – I want you to know that I... "I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly becoming dry,"…I have feelings for you too. And if we do get rescued, I can, and will, act on those feelings." I had stumbled through my speech, having never been so forward and open when talking about feelings. I hoped my awkward confession hadn't been too confusing. I looked up at her and she simply smiled. That was all I needed.

I moved the guitar aside and put my arm around her pulling her close. She looked at me, now confused, "I thought you said-"

"I said it's not the best idea to have a relationship while we're here. But can't we just have one night where we can relax, away from everyone at camp where all the drama is, and just be together?"

She smiled, nodded slightly and rested her head on my shoulder. I close my eyes, enjoying the moment, letting the sound of the waves and the feeling of having her so close take over me. I was lost in my own world until she spoke three simple words that brought me the happiness that I had never felt until I met her.

"I'm yours tonight."


End file.
